Vayu

Whimsical and moody, the Vayu float high above the Human cities, searching out the perfection of the Arts, descending from their cloudy kingdoms only to grace the lower world with their beautiful paintings, flawless architectural plans, and heart wrenching dramas.

Physiology

The Vayu look like nose-less, flat faced humans, their heads, arms and legs wreathed in feathers. They stand between 5′ to 6′ in height and are extremely light in weight. Vayu live for about two hundred years at most.

Appearance

They dress in simple tunics, togas, and gorgeously made gold, silver and bronze ornaments. They are a showy race, but prefer simple stylings to contrast what they believe is their ultimate beauty. Vayu love colors: the members of their race with the most colorful feathers are regarded as the most striking.

Personality

The Vayu are a vain, flighty, and artistically inclined race. They hold the Arts above all else, and the ugly they condemn with impunity. They consider themselves the most beautiful race, but become awestruck by truly stunning members of other races. Many of their endeavors and crafts are impractical, but very nice to look at — and the Vayu could look at them all day.

Habitat

The majority of the Vayu live on floating, migrating kingdoms made of a white material which is indistinguishable from cloud to the untrained eye. The material is called Cloudstuff and is solid and extremely lightweight. Items made of Cloudstuff are highly valued, extremely rare, and opaque white. The secret of their making is kept by the Vayu, but the items are sometimes found in the marketplaces of surface-dwellers. Arrows and ranged ammunition made of Cloudstuff fly farther and hand weapons are easier to handle, while armor made of Cloudstuff can be worn for longer periods of time without tiring the bearer.

Relatively safe from harm in their lofty castles, the Vayu flit around the world, content to perform, create, and inspire. The Vayu cloud cities float from one nation to another in the sky, but the Vayu who have chosen to "walk wingless" commonly settle in Haven, Book, Machera, Stone Falls, or Spire.

Cydonya is an especially dangerous nation for Vayu with colorful plumage. The city's harsh laws and strict feel make the Vayu feel repressed. Few Vayu are found there, or in Kadwal: it is not natural for a Vayu to stand in the shadow of great heights, rather than on top of them.

Society

A Vayu that does not impress others with its Art is not a Vayu at all, but a failure. Whether it be painting, architecture and engineering, acting, dancing, singing, music, literature, or discussion of the arts and criticism, a Vayu must occupy a space in the Art world. It is possible, however, for a Vayu possessed of other talents to gain acclaim if he or she can turn what they do into an art. For instance, the soldier who practices the art of war and combat.

Speaking of war and combat, the Vayu floating cities are relatively safe from incursion. After all, it would be rather difficult to assault a fortress hundreds of feet above the ground. Flying beasts such as Kites, Griffs, and Drakes might make it possible, but for the Valkyries, a group of Vayu warrior-women who are revered for their mastery of aerial combat and dauntless confrontation of any threat to the Vayu way of life.

A common Vayu saying is "A ripe age is a rotten shame." They are sensitive to the odd twist that most artists are not appreciated until after their death when the collection of their works becomes finite. Also, as vain beings who praise appearances, they are disdainful of those who do not age with grace. Death among the Vayu is approached with melodrama, especially if the departed was an important figure. Cremation and scattering of ashes is a common practice among these beings.

Vayu believe in monogamous marriage, but not for life. It is accepted that an individual can only inspire and bring happiness to another for so long and couples who do spend their lives in one marriage are regarded with awe and respect, but also with confusion. To the Vayu, it is only natural to appreciate beauty wherever it is found. Vayu consider children extremely enchanting and child-rearing is viewed as a very long artistic endeavor. Therefore, a child's actions and reputation have a strong reflection on his or her parents. For the propagation of their race, Vayu mate and the female delivers an egg, which later hatches. If the egg is abandoned or orphaned, there is often a contest of sorts in which many Vayu compete to prove themselves worthy of rearing the child.

Vayu cuisine is comprised of small portions. Their dishes often consist of poultry and eggs, as these are some of the most prevalent foodstuffs to be found high above the ground. The Vayu are eccentric, and often very passionate and indulgent about food, but they are far from gluttonous.

Relations

The Vayu rarely clash with other cultures, but don't particularly mesh well with Koh-ri, Nyx or Sobaki. The Koh-ri are too savage, the Nyx are too ugly, and the Sobaki are too strange.

Vayu feel close to the Zjenithi since their ways of reproduction are similar and both races enjoy shows of extravagance. Vayu also enjoy the company of adventurous and hedonistic Humans.

Motivations

To glimpse and capture the beauty of the sunset over a far off seas in an oil painting or to immortalize a party of fellow adventurers in the perfect ballad would be great goals for a Vayu. Or better yet, to give the perfect humiliating eulogy at the funeral of a bitter enemy. Vayu are perfect candidates for adventuring since they perpetually seeking beauty, stimulation, and inspiration.

Max Caps

• Personality 12
• Agility 12
• Courage 8
• Muscle 8

Powers

• Light Bones: Vayu take half-damage from falling.
• Sharp Eyes: The Vayu have extremely keen vision. They gain a +2 racial bonus to Perception checks.
• Lyrical: Vayu possess a latent ability to drastically change the tone of their voice and mimic other noises. They may spend a Magic Point to receive a racial bonus of +2 to any Negotiate, Seduce, or Performance check. A Vayu may spend as many MP as he or she likes in this way. The effects are cumulative.
• Screech: Vayu can emit an ear-splitting screech which at short ranges can be brutal. By spending two MP, the Vayu's player makes a Performance check. Anyone within five feet must make a Vitality check or be rendered Deaf, Dazed, and take the difference in the rolls as damage. Anyone outside of a five foot radius is simply annoyed.